Enhancing energy transition with open-source regional energy system optimization models: TEMOA-Piedmont

This paper describes TEMOA-Piedmont, a model to perform long-term energy planning at regional level for Piedmont (Italy). The model has been developed from scratch within the fully open access TEMOA framework, involving a single spatial region and a time horizon extending from 2011 to 2050. The model introduces the novelty of focusing on a sub-national case study. Despite their potential, regional models are not yet diffuse in the energy programming and policy definition of the countries but are gaining their role and attention in recent years. A regional model enables consideration of local characteristics in production and consumption of energy carriers and helps to spot the barriers and opportunities for energy transition, thereby supporting both national and local policy makers. The methodology adopted for TEMOA-Piedmont in developing each sector of the model varies following the structure of the available data. The benchmark of the model was done comparing the outcomes of the model with the data of the Regional Energy and Environmental Plan and Italian transmission system operator, showing an excellent alignment, with differences limited to a few percent both for the power and demand sectors. At the same time, TEMOA-Piedmont is tested on future scenarios relevant to the peculiarities of the local energy system (local pollution issues and a relevant share of the hydroelectric resource), providing an example of the model policy relevance. Finally, the robustness of the model is tested through illustrative scenarios, and the associated results are presented.